A 22-year-old caregiver in South Carolina is facing felony charges after authorities say she stood by and laughed while a patient in her care choked to death.
Haven Alyssa Jackson was booked into the Florence County Detention Center following an investigation into the February 1 incident at the Pee Dee Regional Center, a state-run facility for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
According to arrest warrants released by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Jackson was working as a direct support professional when the victim began choking on “unapproved food” during lunch.
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Despite being the staff member assigned to ensure the victim’s “safety and wellbeing,” investigators allege Jackson did nothing to help. One warrant explicitly states that Jackson had “direct knowledge of the choking and was seen laughing,” yet she “never provided any life-saving measures or interventions.”
The investigation further revealed that the neglect may have been covered up. SLED agents claim Jackson failed to conduct required 15-minute accountability checks on the victim and later falsified official logs to make it appear as though the checks had been completed. Authorities concluded that these actions “directly resulted” in the patient’s death.
Beyond the fatal choking incident, Jackson is accused of physically mistreating the same patient earlier that day. Surveillance footage and witness interviews reportedly show Jackson “forcefully” pushing the victim into walls and onto the floor multiple times.
Warrants also allege she used her body to block the victim’s movements and steer them in specific directions against their will.
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The Pee Dee Regional Center requested the state investigation immediately following the death. Jackson now faces one count of abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult and one count of neglect resulting in death. She is currently being held without bond as the 12th Circuit Solicitor’s Office prepares to prosecute the case.
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